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Bray Entertainment Uses Panasonic P2 HD Handhelds

Production company Bray Entertainment (New York, NY) has expanded its utilization of Panasonic P2 HD gear with the addition of AG-HPX250 P2 HD handheld camcorders with 10-bit, 4:2:2 ,full 1920 x 1080 resolution AVC-Intra recording to its equipment arsenal. Prior, the company had been using Panasonic AG-HPX170 P2 HD handhelds as primary cameras on its long-formprogramming (Discovery Network/nuvoTV's reality series Mission Menu), pilots, commercials and development shoots.

Challenge

Bray Entertainment in NYC wanted to expand its equipment arsenal with handheld camcorders in order to handle a new national TV production assignment.

Solution

Bray decided to add AG-HPX250 P2 HD handheld camcorders with 10-bit, 4:2:2, full 1920 x 1080 resolution AVC-Intra to its existing Panasonic P2 HD gear because of its ease of use and functionality.

Result

The company is happy with the identical workflow of the HPX250 handhelds in addition to their higher recording quality, longer lenses and improved zoom which have been essential for this TV project.

Principal Chris Bray is formerly of Leftfield Pictures, where he was one of the creators of the hit History network series, Pawn Stars, which is shot with Panasonic AG-HVX200As. In evaluating acquisition options for his new company, Bray, along with Executive Producer David Miller, elected to continue with P2 HD handhelds.

"We liked the AG-HPX170's balance, size and controls—ideal for run-and-gun shooting—its ease of use and functionality," said Bray Entertainment's Executive In Charge of Production Will Chandler. "Moreover, the P2 workflow was familiar and more desirable than other options."

Chandler called the company's choice of HPX250s as "a natural progression". "Not only is there absolutely no workflow change, but we also can take advantage of the HPX250's higher recording quality, longer lensing and improved zoom," he said.

The first major assignment for the HPX250s is a new documentary series for the Lifetime Networks that will begin to air in the first quarter of 2013. The series is being shot in AVC-Intra 100 and edited on Avid Media Composer 6. The company has recently begun uploading P2 footage to hard drives in the field with Panasonic's AJPCD30 three-slot P2 memory drives with USB 3.0 interfaces.

"The PCD30 has cut our offloading time by 75%," Chandler said, "It's a terrific tool on any long-form work that entails large amounts of media wrangling." "Panasonic products are great for the world of docu-series television," he added. "The P2 camcorders are reliable and durable, and the workflow is effortless.

Overall, if you don't have to think about your camera in the field and it becomes an extension of you as a shooter—well, that's all you can ask for."